January Update

Housekeeping, December Review, and Looking Forward

Housekeeping and Update

Happy 2024, everyone!

The year has begun in earnest and I have so much to share. Recently, my day job has changed and I will not be working from home. That means that my posting schedule and pace is likely to significantly change. January will be a month of trial and error. In advance, I will apologize for interruptions in that schedule. I’m a little frightened of the future, I’ll admit, so I do my best to keep my Substack as stable as I can—stability versus turbulence, as it were.

A Town Called Evening will continue as scheduled at the very least.

About Shades of Night: for those who have kept up with my novel journey since the beginning, you might remember that I wanted to self-publish (not the anthology, but the “real deal”). 2023 has shown me that I’m not ready. Not in the perfectionist sense. Instead, I’ve come to some humbling realizations:

A. my book needs a lot of work,

B. I should begin my self-publishing journey with a smaller work,

C. and I’m not as good of a writer as I thought I was and I have a long way to go to learn this craft.

All this means is that I must spend a little more time editing and reading.

case and point: the beginning of revising and restructuring

I’m excited to more deeply explore the characters and world. Thanks to

S.E. Reid

’s stellar diagnosis of my ending, I feel like I have direction. If you’re looking for someone to give you constructive feedback, I highly recommend working with her.

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December Review

This past December the following was posted:

Serials:

• A Town Called Evening episodes I, II, II

• Blackwater (Jack & Sari) episodes III, IV, V

Short stories:

• Penter Painter’s Holiday Haunts: Seville by the Sea

• 536 Volcanic Winter: the Yawning of the Deep

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Looking forward…

In January, I plan to:

• Wrap up Blackwater and press on with A Town Called Evening. I am so thankful for the reception of the latter. It’s really touched me.

• I’ve opened up a little cover design/graphic design business on the side. If you’re looking for someone to help you elevate your serials here on Substack, consider me your guy!

• Announce my spring series (maybe).

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That’s all for this month’s update!

A Town Called Evening episode IV should be up this Wednesday and I’m aiming to upload my next Blackwater entry either this Friday or next week.

Enjoy the start of 2024! Take the bull/dragon by the horns and make this year your year.

Much love,

M.E. Beckley